Cross Excel new review after 4 months and just 1800 miles

[dcweather]

It's difficult to know where to start really. I think my overall assessment is that it is better than my initial one but the downsides are too great with too many basic design faults for me to consider re-buying. So I'll start with the shorter good points:-

It is an easy to drive car which handles very well which makes it feel smaller and more nippy than it is. Considering the 18" wheels (see later) it is better over speed humps and pot holes than I had expected, compared to my Captur for example on 18" wheels. This is more likely due to the decent suspension. Still  pretty big thump with potholes but this says more about he deterioraton in British roads than it does about the car and I doubt any car could deal well with them. The seats are reasonably comfortable but a tad short on thigh support for a six footer like me (see later). The gadgets are good in general and bleeps not too intrusive. The rear cross thing has saved me when reversing a couple of times and I think blind spot monitoring is one of the best safety back up features you can have in my opinion. In the earlier cold weather I liked the heated steering wheel a lot, the seats ok for a short initial period and being able to get rid of the one frost we had remotely was great. To just go out in the cold and drive straight off was wonderful. Generally the controls are pretty good although the touch screen could be more sensitive. I like the hydraulic boot system but think it could be a bit dangerous if you are not well clear. The kick start opener usually works and has been helpful a few times. Fuel consumption is coming out at about 62mpg but have rarely had a chance to drive it in tempertures over 15C.

The worst thing for me has always been the noise levels. I have to turn the radio up sometimes depending on the road surface. It is mainly road noise although when you accelerate and the petrol engine kicks in you get a throaty sound like the old days when your exhaust manifold was blown. Of course young people might like it but i doubt many young people are buying this. Sound proofing the entirely bare steel in the boot floor has helped a bit and I have started to get used to it. If the engine is started from cold the petrol engine tick over sounds like a 1970's clattering diesel.
The car generally feels cheap. The rear doors sometimes don't shut without a distinct slam and some important levers like the seat recliner is very flimsy plastic. The body panels are very thin and flexy and the paint seems a bit thin as I got a distinct scratch along the side from a fairly lightweight hedge twig. (It has polished out with some effort though). As a moderately tall person that likes to sit quite high I need the seat back to its maximum. This a major issue because if you want to put down the back seats, (and you will have to if you want to put say golf clubs in the boot) they won't go flat unless you move the front seat forward, then you have to slide it back again after they are down.The front doors don't open to anywhere near 90 degrees which makes getting in and out awkward without scraping mud off your shoes on to  the door frame.

Fuel consumption so far is slightly disappointing. Best average is probably about 62 mpg, about the same as my Captur hybrid was but it doesn't like motorways. At a constant 70mph when you will struggle to get 60mpg and more like 56. This may improve in the hotter weather but using  higher octane fuel made absolutely no difference to the economy on an identical 60 mile round trip. My Audi A3 1.0 Tsi petrol auto could do over 60 mpg  on motorways.
Lots of these views are specific to me and I can see why other people may really like it or have different experiences becuse it is a decent enough car - or could have been.

I've not read about it but the sales rep at my Toyota dealership phoned to ask me how I was getting on and after I told him about my gripes said there was a Yaris Cross size all electric vehicle coming out later this year.... but then what do sales reps know!

[Mojo1010]

60 mpg in current temp is pretty good for an suv body in auto, will improve when it gets warmer. I have the hatchback version so can understand the 3 pot noise in cold weather start up or put the foot down. 3 pot being more fuel efficient than 4. 

Think I would I probably find it frustrating with the 116 power of the cross. On the hatchback its adequate enough, am content on that front. This reminds me to do the sound insulation in the boot. 

[MC1216]

Great honest review...people suffer from brand blindness which tends to stop them being negative about a certain brand.

Toyota have the USP of the 10 year warranty which does appeal to a certain group of people.

I agree the quality of my 2024 Corolla inside is very average...i am not expecting it to be BMW/Audi quality but it's worse than a 2021 Mazda CX30 i owned by some margin.

And as for the quality of the reversing camera it's like watching TV on an old CRT in the 1970's.

However the appeal is they are reliable and cheapish to run with good mpg.

 

[Primus1]

I have nearly 7000 miles on mine and I have found it seems a little quieter, not sure if it’s just because I’m used to it or not, I think the type of tyre fitted to mine ( falken) is also to blame for the noise but I don’t know, I think the cross won’t be much more luxurious ect, otherwise you won’t be buying an LBX…

[Cyker]

Your 1L turbo petrol Audi could get over 60mpg at 70mph?! How?? 

 

But yeah, coming from an Audi the Yaris will not feel nice, but they are completely different classes of vehicle; The Audi is a swish premium car while the Yaris is supposed to be a cheap econobox.

[dcweather]

If not postedd before I received this from my dealer after they asked me what I thought of it so far. Pleased that I wasn't imagining it!

After our conversation today I made my own research and found that Toyota have listened to our customers and have taken steps to reduce engine and road noise in the new 2024 Yaris Cross, please see below.

 

[dcweather]

[dcweather]

24 minutes ago, Cyker said:

Your 1L turbo petrol Audi could get over 60mpg at 70mph?! How?? 

 

But yeah, coming from an Audi the Yaris will not feel nice, but they are completely different classes of vehicle; The Audi is a swish premium car while the Yaris is supposed to be a cheap econobox.

Not comparing it to that for comfort and build quality but to its competitor that I had before - top of the range Captur E-Tech. That was worse on potholes, better on road noise. Engine smoother but not audi esque!  Audi 1.0Tsi dsg Sport, rrp 30,985.00 GBPWLTP 54.3mpg , Excel RRP 31,495 WLTP 55.3 mpg. Toyota is pretty much running entirely on petrol at 70mph except down hill coasting. Audi higher geared and more efficient engine also turns off when coasting downhill. Maybe that is why,don't know..

[Roy124]

@Dcweather, I cannot disagree with anything you said apart from the fact I have reordered a Yaris Cross.

[dcweather]

6 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

@Dcweather, I cannot disagree with anything you said apart from the fact I have reordered a Yaris Cross.

Why not, it is a nice car if they not major issues to you. See later post as well - your new model should be quieter.

[TonyHSD]

When compared to other cars mpg it is very important to note that all these greater fuel consumption numbers will half once you enter town centres or city traffic jams where Toyota hybrids will actually increase their mpg because of its hybrid system.
In a long run Toyota will cost far less to own in comparison to any other car make. I agree with all negatives though, good that Toyota has listened and start to improve on these things, because honestly if all negatives were fixed I don’t really see any better alternatives out there. 

[Primus1]

Just been on a short motorway run and this included some traffic on the m1, I find it’s really nice on the motorway, far better than I expected, plus trip is showing almost 71 mpg…

[dcweather]

4 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

When compared to other cars mpg it is very important to note that all these greater fuel consumption numbers will half once you enter town centres or city traffic jams where Toyota hybrids will actually increase their mpg because of its hybrid system.
In a long run Toyota will cost far less to own in comparison to any other car make. I agree with all negatives though, good that Toyota has listened and start to improve on these things, because honestly if all negatives were fixed I don’t really see any better alternatives out there. 

Agree entirely, and mpg was one of the main reasons after getting the figures I do in my wife's 10 year old Yaris and my Renault Captur, which is in fact an under rated competitor in my opinion. It is started to give overall figures of 62 mpg now including about 50% mixed motorway speeds hich is pretty good I think.

[dcweather]

3 hours ago, Primus1 said:

Just been on a short motorway run and this included some traffic on the m1, I find it’s really nice on the motorway, far better than I expected, plus trip is showing almost 71 mpg…

That's good - I'm not getting anything like that at a constant 70 mph and I see it drop on the dash which is set up for showing mpg. I am getting 62 mpg now which includes some motorway driving which includes some 75 mph short bursts and some stretches at constant 50 mph. It probably does about 50 mpg for the former and 75mpg for the latter.

[Jimota]

Hardly do much motorway driving now and the fuel consumption figures are really amazing.  During the summer and autumn months last year, I averaged 70 -72 mpg.  However, throughout the winter which also included long periods of not being driven much, consumption fell to 64 mpg.  In the last month I’ve increased my mileage substantially and after refuelling to day I’m now getting 74 mpg.  

[dcweather]

Never hit 70 mpg on any measurable trip yet, be it around town or just A roads and lanes. And I'm a very, very efficient hybrid driver in terms of rarely accelerate quickly and anticipate breaking. DOn't use eco mode though, just thee comfort one so far. Maybe it likes agreesive driving on the odd occasion I have floored it the mpg average drops markedly.

[Primus1]

I found that , as the mileage increases so does the fuel economy, winter takes a hit, mine was down to as low as mid fifties but that’s still good…

[RonYarisX]

Agree with all of those points bar two:

1: The average mpg in our car sits at 51 but 95% of the driving is daily short distance around. I'm happy with that. I'd bite your hand off for 60mpg.

2: Golf clubs. You have to lower the rear seats.  Really ! What bag do you have? We chose this car for that very reason. It will take large caddy bag ( without having to remove the driver ) AND a powakaddy electric cart - easy peasy. To create even more space, I've split the boot height so 50% is floor level, 50% is higher level. That gives some under floor storage for odds and ends.

I rarely drive our car but took it to Edinburgh last week, one of it's very rare visits on a motorway, first time I've personally driven it on a motorway in all it's 9 months. Bloom'n heck, talk about loud !!!  I've said this elsewhere in a review, it's acceptable around town but It's not a car I'd chose for a longer journey.

I find the seat base fine and I'm 5' 10". That said it's a small car so it's never going to work for tall people. We have the sport - I'm assuming the front seats are the same just a different material? dunno.

 

[dcweather]

12 hours ago, RonYarisX said:

Agree with all of those points bar two:

1: The average mpg in our car sits at 51 but 95% of the driving is daily short distance around. I'm happy with that. I'd bite your hand off for 60mpg.

2: Golf clubs. You have to lower the rear seats.  Really ! What bag do you have? We chose this car for that very reason. It will take large caddy bag ( without having to remove the driver ) AND a powakaddy electric cart - easy peasy. To create even more space, I've split the boot height so 50% is floor level, 50% is higher level. That gives some under floor storage for odds and ends.

I rarely drive our car but took it to Edinburgh last week, one of it's very rare visits on a motorway, first time I've personally driven it on a motorway in all it's 9 months. Bloom'n heck, talk about loud !!!  I've said this elsewhere in a review, it's acceptable around town but It's not a car I'd chose for a longer journey.

I find the seat base fine and I'm 5' 10". That said it's a small car so it's never going to work for tall people. We have the sport - I'm assuming the front seats are the same just a different material? dunno.

 

Normal full size golf bag. It's the driver club that's the issue but I guess there could be an angle where it might get in but that wouldn't leave much room for the electric trolley.I wouldn't say it's that noisy on the motorway but it varies a lot with road surface as has been said before and you do have to increase radio volume from what it was around town. Apart from the claimed extra sound proofing I hope they give an option of smaller wheels on  the top of the range which would be the cheapest win situation with both noise and fuel consumption which is surely what the majority of UK buyers would like, given the likely age profile.

[dcweather]

When chatting about the Cross with the salesman, I said I would probably get all electric next time and he told me about the RAV 4 and the LBX whatever it is called and I said they were too big. Hee said there was a Yaris X size all electric coming out later this year. Is this true or did he just make it up to keep me sweet?

[Yugguy1970]

Point of order.

These engines don't really tick over.  They're either on as needed for power/charging or off.

On cold start it will run at around 2k rpm to warm up as fast as possible.

 

I think the LBX is similar in size to the Yaris Cross.

[Russ Taylor]

I don’t disagree with the comments at all other than I think the ride is “ok” and noise is “ok” too. Not great but “ok”. I do a lot of dual carriageway work and you (I mean I!) do have to pootle at 60-65 to get a real +60 mpg in spring. Clearly winter is less good and summer better. I expected better but it is ok and town work would be better still. Don’t need a bigger engine or turbo - the 3 cylinder 1490ccs are enough.

Do need back seat down for golf clubs and trolley but must investigate use of spilt boot level.

It does have a slightly flimsy feel in the body work but that makes it quite light which is intended for efficiency. 
 

Everything works well and I expect reliability and durability throughout. Two years and 21K miles to date and no issues at all. All the safety stuff is terrific and about as good as any car. The eCVT is a technological marvel and should be as reliable as a gearbox/differential.

I bought with 10 year ownership in mind so no intention or need to change it for slight improvements that might come with each model year.

A light in the rear seating seems to be a must. More sophisticated rear suspension would have been nice.

A good car. There may well be other good cars but I’m not spending more money to seek them out - there is no need.

 

[dcweather]

On 5/7/2024 at 9:01 PM, Yugguy1970 said:

Point of order.

These engines don't really tick over.  They're either on as needed for power/charging or off.

On cold start it will run at around 2k rpm to warm up as fast as possible.

 

I think the LBX is similar in size to the Yaris Cross.

LBX  is similar length but a fair bit wider - 60mm. Boot is also a fair bit smaller which I wouldn't really want.

[dcweather]

Bit of an update. So summer has sort of arrived and as the wise people predicted fuel consumption has improved a lot and i am now pleased with that. I',m getting about 67 mpg overall on long mixed runs of lanes, town, A roads, 75 mph max motorway and a fair bit of constant 50 mph. Also now I have done 3000 miles it does seem a bit quieter and smoother although this may also be due to the warmth with greater proportion of EV and the bit of sound proofing I've added. A new niggle is being 6ft I tend to have the driver's seat back and it is not possible to put the split rear seats down flat without removing the rear head rests which catch on the back of the front seats even if fully retracted. So much for Toyota slick design!
But overall I am finding the driving experience much better now than I was initially unless I am just learning to live with some of the shortcomings.

[Cyker]

Yeah the headrest thing is a bit weird - They solved that problem in the Verso and the Mk2 Yaris with headrests that went below the seat top, but for some reason went back to the Rear-view Blocker head rests from the Mk1!

I took them out and they just live in the boot.